berkley



3. H. BERKLEY.

MACHINE FOR lCARDING SNAP FASTENERS.

APPLICATION msn lluNE 5. 191s.

Pnfcld' June 24, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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vMACHINE FOR CARDING SNAI FASTENERS. .APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5. I9I8.

3 SHEETS-,SHEET 2.

l 307, 997. Patented Juner V24, 1919.

II. H. B-ERKLEY.

MACHINE F-OR CARDING S-NAP FASTEN'ERS.

- APPLICATION FILED IuNE. I`9II8.

.bypass RICHARD I-IATLEY BERKLEY, 0F PLAINVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS ASSIGNOE TO W'HITING & DAVIS COMPANY, A. CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

MACINE FOR CARDING SNAP-FASTENERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD H. BERKLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainville, in the county ofNorfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Carding Snap-Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention7 such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is directed to the provision of a machine for automatically aiixing snapfasteners to cards for convenience in handling them and displaying them forsale.

It has become the common practice to mount snap fasteners on cards for conven ience in handling them and displaying them for sale rby providing holes a card and then aiixing the snap fasteners to the card in the studs of the'studmembers through t e holes and snapping the socket members upon the studs, the bodies of the stud members and socketlmembers lying on opposite sides of the card. The operation lof so aiiixing snap fasteners to the cards has heretofore been a manual operation which ladds materially to the cost of the completed product. The object of this invention is to provide a mechanism lfor performing this operation mechanically and automatically to the end that the cost of the carded fasteners shall be materially reduced.

rPhe invention involves the provision of an automatic feeding mechanism for feeding cards to an aiixing position, automatic mechanism for feeding stud and socket members of snap fasteners successively from suitable supply receptacles to positions on opposite sides of the card in the aHiXing position, and an automatically operated pusher ory pressing device which, when the stud and socket members are in the proper relation to the card, is operated to force the two members toward each other and thereby snap them together upon the card lwith the stud punches the holes in the cards to prepare them for receiving the fasteners.

In such a mechanism it is essential that the members of the fasteners be positioned accurately with respect to the card, so that when they are moved toward each other, the studs of the stud members will be inserted through the holes in the card. For this purpose, various forms of positioning devices may be employed but I prefer to use a toothed wheel in the form of a gear mounted to rotate stepbystep so that in each step movement of the wheel a tooth thereon will engage themembers of a fastener and advance them, the wheel coming to rest when the members of the fastener advanced by it have reached the proper position with respect to the card. In order to eliminate the possibility of jamming of the parts by the succeeding teeth of the gear engaging the members lof a succeeding fastener, an automatically operated stop device may be employed for retaining the succeeding fasteners until they may be allowed to move forward'by gravity without danger of coming into engagement with the ends of the teeth on the toothed wheel.

In preparing such cards of snap fasteners lfor sale, it `is V usual to provide printed .of connected cards may be arranged to pass over a suitable printing bed or platen and a printing vmember consisting of a form of type or an electrotype may be moved into engagement with the card during one of the periods of rest of its step by step movementy the type being suitably inked after each printing operation.. Y

Apparatus for carding snap fasteners in accordance with the principles of this invention may be constructed invarious ways diilering'widely as to their structural characteristics, and for' that reason the present invention is 'not to be understood as limited with respect to the structural features employed except as may be indicated by the the invention may be embodied is. illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In these drawings Figure 1- is a plan view ofthe apparatus broken away in part; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the machine; and Figs.

3,4, and '5 are transverse sections on lines.-

step by step over the surface of the bed platel 6, it being guided tol move in a straight line by suitable guides such as thoseshown at 12 (Fig. 1). f

The receptacles for ,the socket and ,stud members are shown at 13 and 14 respectively. In the present instance two ,recep-f tacles for stud members and two for socket members are shown as the machine is arranged to affix the snap fasteners to the cards in two parallel rows extending in the direction of the length of the strip of connected cards. Each of these receptacles 13 and 14 is provided with an opening at the bottom thereof into. which the end of a vguideway extends. Thecross-sectional shape of each of these guideways corresponds accurately to the cross-sectional shape of ythe fastenermember which is to pass through it so that the members can enter the guideway only in therelation appropriate for coaction with the other mechanism of the machine to affix the fasteners to the cards. The guideways leading from the receptacles 13 or thesocket members' are shown at 15, and

' the guideways leadin from the receptacles 14 for the stud mem rs are shown at 16. Each of'thesey guideways is provided with a groove or slot in its up er wallto receive the stud of the stud mem rs and the upper ends of the sockets of the socket members. Each' of the receptacles 13 and 14 isy p-rovided with a suitable agitator arranged to swee the elivery groove'leading from the receptacle and thus cause the stener members to enter the, groove. In the present instance each of the receptacles is shown as provided with a short shaft 17 adapted to rockin a,

sleeve bearing, 18 affixed to the bottom of the receptacle. Within the receptacle the upper end of the shaft 17 carries a radial brush 19. On the lower end of each shaft 17 is a crank arrn v20 vand the several crank arms 20A are adapted to b e 'engaged periodi. t cally by the ends .of arms #21 mounted upona shaft 22. This shaft 22 ismounted for rotation in suitable bearings and is provided with a pulley 23 which receives a belt 24. This belt *also runs ona pulley ,25 af- ,fxedfto a power shaft 26 to which rotarymotion is communicated` in any suitable over or adjacent to the'entrance to into engagement withl the pa hold the :strip flat upon the surface ofthe manner as by a belt running on the pulley 27. During each rotation of the shaft 22 the arms 21 thereon strike the arms 20 of.

the shafts 1-7 and rotate those shafts and the brushes 19 carried by. them and when the arms 21 are carried past the cranks 20 the shafts 17 and their brushes 19 are returned to their original positions by springs,

2'8 coiled on the shafts 17 as indicated in Fig. 2. The range of movement of the shafts 17 may be limited by pins 29 on the v shafts 17 entering slots in the bearings for the shafts.

- The' guideways 15 leading from the receptacles 13 for the socket members extend downwardly and toward each other and then out parallel to each-other over the surface of the bed'plate 6. Near their ends the bottom walls of these guideways are cut away so that when the socket members arrive at this point-they rest uponl the paper strip 9 on the bed pllate 6, their movement from this point on to the end of the. guideway being gulded by its side walls. The. guideways 16 leading from the receptacles 14l for the stud members extend .downwardly and toward each other and communicate with grooves formed inthe bed plate6 as shown in'Fig. 2, so that the stud members' passing down through these guideways pass into the grooves in the plate 6`and move along thereini under the paper strip 9 into lines paralleling the lines of socketv members whichv overlie the strip. i

, The power shaft 26 carriesabeveled gear 30 which meshes with aV pinion 31 on a shaft 32 extending lengthwise of the machine and mounted in suitable bearings carried yby lthe `standards 7. On one end this shaft.32

carrles a cam 33 which operates upon a crossbar 34 whose ends ares curedl to rods 35 passing uplthrough bearings on the plate 6 on opposite sides of the strip 9. The upper ends of these rods 35 are connected by a ar 36A from which depend two punches 37 lying directly over holes in the bed plate 6 corresponding accurately .in size to the loo punches 37. Springs 38 are coiled on the rods 35 between the plate 6 and bar 36'for raising the punches L37 and maintaining the bar 34 always in engagement with the cam 33. -A roller 39 is preferably provided limmediately'in rear of the punches 37, this roller being pressed down by lsprings 40 strip 9 to plate 6. l

lThe feed ofthe members ofthe fasteners and the positioning of those members is controlled by two toothed wheels '41 and 42 which are set into recessesvin the bed plate 6.' These wheels are mounted on shafts 43 adapted to rotate ing bearings formed in a block secured to the underside of the bed plate 6 and on their lower ends these shafts l carry intermeshing gears 44. On one of the shafts 43 is a ratchet wheel 45. This wheel and the parts connected to it are rotated step by step by a paWl46 (Fig. 1) pivotally mounted on the end of a lever 47 which is pivoted upon one of the standards 7 as shown at 48. The lever 47 is pressed by a spring 49 into engagement with the periphery of a cam 50 mounted on the shaft 32. Once during each rotation of the shaft 32 the cam 50 actuates the lever 47 and pawl 46 to rotate the shafts 43- and the wheels-41 and 42 carried therebyonestep, that is, a distance represented by the space between adjacent teeth of the wheels. In each such step movement, one tooth of each ofthe wheels engages the leading stud member and socket member inthe correspondingv guideways 15 and 16 and moves those members .forward to the positions for. axing them to the card. By reference to Fig. 4 it will be noted that each of the wheels 41 and 42 is slotted circumferentially to provide a narrow space for the reception of the paper strip 9.

Immediately after each pair of fastener members is brought to the aiixing position l by the toothed wheels 41 and 42, a pusher or pressing member is raised into engagement with the stud members underlying the 'paperstrip and lifts themso as' to project the studs through holes in the paper strip 9 and into the sockets of the overlymg` socket members. These pushers are shown atf'51 in Fig. 4. They are adapted to `move vertically lin openings. provided in theblock underlying the bed plate 6. At their lower ends they are secured-to a cross head 52 on which is a projection 53 bearing on the periphery of a cam 54 on the shaft 32. Springs 55 are coiled on. the rods 51 and tend to press the crosshead y 52 downwardly to hold the projection 53 upon the surface of the cam 54. y The toothed wheels 41 and 12-might be allowed to pick up the fastener members successively, thefasteners being advanced into coaction with the teeth of the wheels by gravity. However, this would admit of the of a fastener memberbecoming jammedv between the end of a tooth of one of the wheels and the opposite side wall ofy the guideway. I prefer therefore to control the movement of the fastener members under the action of gravity into coaction 'with the toothed wheels. For thispurpose automatically operated stops are provided which arrest the movement of the members inthe guide-ways underthe action of gravity and release them momentarily when the wheels 41 and 42 are at rest. These Stop members are shown in Fig. 5. The lower stop members consist of rods 56 movable vertically in the block secured to the under-side o f the bed plate 6, the ends of which areadapted to enter the studs of the stud members. The

lower ends of these rods 56 are secured to a crosshead 57 provided with a projection 58 adapted to bear on the periphery of a cam 59 on the shaft 32, springs 60` coiled on the rods 56 being arranged to hold the projection 58 in engagement with the cam. The upper stop members 61 are carried by rods 62 secured to a crosshead 63 whose 'rejection isadaptexl to travel on the perip `ery of a cam 64 on the shaft 32, it being held in engagement with the cam by springs 65. rlhe upper stop members 61 are slightly forward of the lower stop members 56 and are adapted to be moved down into the path of movebmeent of the upper ends of the socket memrs.

The mechanism for printingy upon the cards and for severing the strip 9 isshown at the left of Figs. 1 and 2.and in F ig. 3. The extension of the bed .plate 6 constitutes a platen for the support ofthe paper strip duringthe printing operation. A printing member is mounted directly over this platen;

`it may consist ofy a form of type but it is preferably an electrotype plate. rDhis plate is indicated at 66 as carried by a supporting plate 67. This supporting plate 67 is mounted upon rods 68 extending down through bearingsl formed on the bed plate 6 and secured at their lower ends to a -crosshead 69 engaged by two similar cams 70 on the power shaft 26. These cams serve to depress the crosshead 69 and the plate 67 carrying the electrotype against .the tension of springs 71 coiled on the rods 68. AVVhent'he prln-ting surface is in the elevated position an inked roller 72 is passedover the printing face of the electrotype. This roller is in an operating lever ,7 7 pivoted at its lower end as shown at 78 upon an arm 79 depending from the frame 75. On lever 77 is a roller which lies in the groove of a cam 80 carried bythe shaft 26.

The plate 467 which carries the electrotype has a cutting blade 81 mounted upon it. This bladeV coperates with the edge of a plate 82 which is secured to the end of the bed plate 6.

The `operation of the `mechanism constructed as above set forth will now be described. Throughout the operation, the brushes 19 in the receptacles for the yfastener members are yoperated intermittently to sweep over the 'entrances tothe guideways 15 and 16 and agitate the fastener'members so as to cause them tol enter the guideways, and the shape of the guideways is such that these members may enter them only in the proper relation.V Within the guideways, the members move along by, gravity down to the point-where they are arrested by the, detents 56 and 61. At regular intervals the cams 59 and64 operate the detents to move them vmomentarily out ofl engagement with the vfastener members held bythem', and while y they are so `out of engagement, the 4fastener members are moved by gravity in the guider ways. Thus, referring to Fig. 1, the movement-of the detents to the positions for releasing the fastener members permits the lmembers to move so that the end one of the once for each rotation of shaft 32 the wheels- 41 and 42 are operated bythe ratchet and pawl mechanism 45 and 46 so that the fastener members supplied tothe wheels fvas above described are moved forward by the wheels to the aixin positions. Immediately after the whee s come to rest after moving the fastener members to the. afixing positions, the pusher or pressing members 51 are raisedby their cam 54 into engagement with the stud members and cause those members to project their studs through the holes inthe paper strips and into the sockets of the socket members. This aiiixes the fasteners to the strip 9 so that when the wheels 41 and 42 are given their next step of rotational movement they act as feedersfor the paper strip, the teeth of the wheels engaging the fasteners which have just been aixed to.

the strip and moving them together with the strip one step forward. Also, in each rotation of the shaft 32 the lpunches 38 arey operated to punch holes in the strip 9 in the positions appropriate for the reception of fasteners in the subsequent positions of the strip.

The machine illustrated is arranged for the production of cards each contalning a dozen fasteners arranged in two row's of six each. Therefore the printing mechanism isl arranged to be operated after every sixth step of the afiixing mechanism, the ratio between the beveled gears 30 and 31 being six to one. In the Ipause after each`sixth step movement of the paper strip, the cams depress the printing plate 66 and cause it to print upon the paper strip passingover the bed plate. After the printing'surface has been returned vto its initial -position, and

while it is in that position,l the inking roller 72 is moved over the printing'facesv in contact therewith by Kthe cam 80 to supply ink for the succeeding printing operation. Also,

united, is` especially well adapted for the parallel vand close together but separated by the cutter platel 81 carried by it severs the strip 9 forming a printed card carrying a dozen snap fasteners'. l

, The toothed wheels herein illustrated and described for controlling the movement of the fastener members and positioning them accurately for coperation with the pusher by which pairs of fastener members are performance of thel functions above indicated, particularly when the wheels are slotted as above described to provide space through which the strip of paper moves, but it is to be understood that the invention4 is not limited to the use of such toothed wheels,

lexcept as may be indicated in certain'of the` appended claims, assome of the features of the invention may be utilized in machines wherein other means are employed for performing the functions of the toothed wheels. One of the important features of the invention consists in the utilization of a pair of `guidewaysthrough which the fastener members pass having theirend portions lying a space through which the sheet of paper passes, the `adJacent side walls of these end portions of the two guideways'being out away so that after the fastener members9 have moved through the guideways to positions adjacent to the points at which they are affixed to the cards they are free to move laterally into .coaction carrying the stud of a. stud member through the opening inthe card and into thesocket-of/the corresponding socket member.

I claim:

1. A machine for carding snap' fasteners, comprising the combination of two guideways for the socket and stud members o f snap fasteners which gui eways have their end portions extending parallel to each other and spaced'apart tol permit a sheet to pass between them and have ythe adjacent walls of the end portions cut away to permit lateral movement of the -fastener members after .they have been moved into the end .por-

tions of the guideways, a pusher, means for operating the pusher to move the fastener 115 members of a pair toward each other to cause the stud of the stud member to pass through an opening in the sheet and into the socket of the corresponding socket-mem-n ber, and means for feeding the sheet forward step by step to .present new points on the sheet Ifor the reception of new pairs of members.

2. A .machine forcarding snap fasteners,y comprisingthe combination of two guide-,125 ways' for the socket and stud members of snap fasteners which guideways have their end portions extending parallel to each other Vand spacediapart to permit a sheet tov pass between them and have thev adjacent walls 'f of .the end portions `cut awayI to .permit lateral movement of the fastener members after they have been moved into the end porl through an opening in the sheet and into the socket-of the-correspond1ng socket. member,

tions of the guideways, apusher, means for voperating the pusher to move the fastener vmembers vof a pair toward each other to cause the stud of the stud member to .pasav and feeding means for feeding the sheet' forward step by step to present new points on the sheet for vthe reception of new pairs of members by coaction with the' fasteners which have been afxed to the sheet.' v

3. A machine for carding snap fasteners,

. comprising the combination of two guide- Yma between them and have ways for the socket and stud members of snap fasteners which guideways have their end'portions extendingI parallel to each other and spaced apart to permit a sheet to pass the adjacent walls of the end portions cut away to permit lateral movement of the fastener members after they have been moved into the end porv tions of the guideways, a pusher, means for operating the pusher to move the fastener members of a pair toward each other tocause ways the stud of the stud member to pass through l anopening in the sheet and intothe socket 30 of the corresponding socket member, apunch operated in accordance with the movement ofthe pusher to punch holes Iin the sheet, and feedin means for' feeding the sheet forward step y step" topresent new points on the sheet for the reception of new pairs of members. Y

4. A machine for carding snap fasteners, comprising the combination of two guide for the socket and stud members o f snap fasteners which guideways have their end portions extending parallel` to each other and spaced apart to permit a sheet to pass between them and have the ad]acent walls of vthe end portions cut away. to permit lateral movementA of the fastener members after v they have been moved into the end portions printing l sheet to print upon'the sheet.

, ways for the socket and stud members of for carding snap fasteners,

5. A machine combination of two guldecomprising the snap fasteners which guidewaysV have their end portions extending parallel `to each other and spacedapart to permit a sheet to pass vbetween them and have the adjacent walls of the end portions cut away to permit lateral movement of the fastener members after they have been moved into the end portions of the guideways, a pusher, means for operating the pusher to move the fastener mem-bers of a pair toward eachother to cause the stud of the stud member to pass through'an opening in the sheet and into the means for feeding theI sheet forward step by stepto present new points on the sheet for the reception of new pairs of members, and

a cutter operated in certain of the periods of rest of the step by step movement of the sheet to cut the slfeet and form cards therefrom. f

6. A machinefor carding snap fasteners,

vvsocket of the corresponding socket member, v

comprising the combination of a support for a card, means for feeding the stud and socket members of snap fasteners to opposite sides, of the card, a pusher, a power shaft connected to the pusher for operating it to move the stud members, of the fasteners to carry the studs through holes in the card and into the sockets of the corresponding socket members, and a printingvmember connected to the power shaft and actuated thereb to print upon the cards to which'the snapl asteners are aflixed. v

v7. A machine for carding snap fasteners, comprising the combination ofl a support for a card, means for feeding the card forward step by step consisting of feeding members whlch coact with the fasteners which have been affixed to the card, a punch operated in `accordance with the step by step feeding movement of the card to punch holes in the card, means for supplying stud and socket members of snap fasteners to opposite sides' of the card, anda pusher operated in accordance with the step by step movement of ythe card to engage a stud member and project its stud through a hole formed in the card by the punch and into the socket of a socket member.

8. A machine for carding snap fasteners, comprising a support for a card, a toothed wheel, means for supplying stud and socket membersto the toothed wheel on opposite sides of the card, meansformoving the toothed wheel'to carry the fastener members to the aixing. position with reference to the card and pusher, and means for operating the pusher to engage a stud member and project its stud through a hole in the p zrd and into the socket of the socket memr. 9. A machine for carding snap fasteners, comprising the combination of a support for a card, receptacles for the stud and` socket members ofthe snap fasteners, guideways leading from the receptacles to positions opposite each other and close together onjopthe support and between'the two guideways,

and meansffor moving each stud member to carry its stud through an -opening in the card and into the socketl of the correspond`` 'ing socket member.

10. A machine for cardingjsnap fasteners,

' comprising the combination of a support,

means for -feeding a 'card over the surface of'the'support step by step, receptacles for "the studand socket members of the yfasteners, guideways leading from the receptacles.

to opposite sides of the card on the support, an automatically operated punch for punching holes in the card land meansf for'moving each stud member'. toY carry its's'tud through a hole punched inl the card and into the "socket of the corresponding socket member.

' 11. A machine for carding snap fasteners,

' comprising the combination lof'asupport for a card, receptacles for the stud and socket- Inembersof 'the fasteners, guideways leading lfromg'the receptaclesfto positions opposite each other .and close together on opposite sides ofthe card on the support, means for moving' each 'stud member to 'l project' its,

stud through alhole in the card and into ,the

socket of thel socket'member, and meansfor feeding the card forwardbetween the two uideways step by step by coaction asteners affixed to the card.'

with the comprising the combination of a' support for a card, a toothedwheel for moving the studand socket members yinto the aiixing position, 35

guideways" .through which the I' stud and socket .members pass to. the lWheel onA op site sides of the card, means for controlling the movement of the members in the guidey Ways into coaction with the wheel and means vfor moving each stud member to project its 12. A machine for carding snap fasteners,

studthrough a hole inthe cardand into 'the socket of the socket member. l

13. A machine for carding snap fasteners,l

comprising thc combination of a support for 'a card, a toothed Wheel provided with'. a slot through which the card passes, means for' supplying stud and socket members vof snap fasteners tothe Wheel on opposite sides of the card, means for actuating the wheel to position the members of a fastener relatively to the cardand to' 'feed the card by coaction with [the lfastener affixed to the card, and means for moving each stud member in the aflixing position to carry` itsstud through a hole in the card and into the socket of the` socket member.

comprising the combination of a support for 14.' A machine for carding snap fasteners',

a paper strip, means for feeding the'strip over-the support, means for supplying stud` and socket members of'snap fasteners to opy v. strip to form cards.

'15.' A machine for carding snap fasteners,

y comprising the combination of a sup ort for. a strip,means forfeeding the' strip over thesupport stepby step, a punch operated peri-v odically to punch holes in the' strip, means' forvsupplying stud and socketfmembers .of

fasteners to opposite sides of the strip,

means for movingv each stud member to project its stud through a hole unchedlin the strip and intofthe` socket of t e socket `memcards. 4

v ,In testimony whereof I aiiix m` signature.'

RICHARD HATLEY BE KLEY.

vber, .and a cutter for cutting'` the strip "into 

